It’s not for nothing that New Zealand is called the youngest country on earth — it’s in their attitude, it’s in the air, it’s everywhere. Who else would think of inventing something like the bungee? Or the zorb (New Zealand orb) — a ball that takes you down a hill just for fun? Only a New Zealander, writes Lina Choudhary Mahajan.

Creation of the departments in the State Government has not always followed administrative logic. While there are 77 departments in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra manages with just 29 and Andhra Pradesh with 30.

Sohliya and Ritiang villages in Meghalaya aren’t just growing superlative strawberries, they are also trying to script a new kind of tourism — adventure-soaked stays in semi-forest farmhouses but sans frills, writes Rahul Karmakar.

Once the fief of rich western kids, taking a year off or ‘gapping’ is now increasingly the trend among youngsters who are ready to follow their heart. Ruchira Hoon meets Indian gappers who aren’t just skipping school and work to dance and travel, but are doing so with parental consent and by living on their wits...

Russians own the hotels; the Brits are dining on tandoori fish and butter chicken; Indians from the south and north throng the beaches. It’s hard to believe this is the same city-state where, as a child, I walked barefoot to the local brunch joint for some lazy late-morning bacon and eggs, writes Zara Murao.

The Thais are quite warm towards India. A week’s coverage in the Bangkok Post included not only the Jaipur Lit Festival but also sadhus bathing at the Sangam and a malkhambh display at a rural sports meet in Sagar, MP. Bollywood, especially its soundtracks, is big too, writes Abhilash Gaur.